'Grandparent Scheme' Warning Issued By Police
Chatham Township Police offer tips after one township man lost $2,800 earlier this month.
Chatham Township Police want residents to be aware of a scheme known as "the grandparent scam," which one 80-year-old township man became a victim of earlier this month. Lt. Steven Hennelly said a grandparent may receive a telephone call or email from someone posing as a grandchild. "If it is a phone call, it’s often late at night or early in the morning when most people aren’t thinking that clearly," Hennelly said in a statement Friday. The caller will wait for the victim to give the name of a grandchild, and will claim to be that grandchild. The caller may also claim to be a police officer, a lawyer, a doctor at a hospital or someone else with a connection to the grandchild. The township man wired $2,800 to a location in Peru on Jan. 7, …
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Michael Dwells
6:40 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Another version of this grandparent scam is the kidnapped relative scam. Based on the complaints posted at http://www.callercenter.com , scammers have added a new twist to this old grandparent trick and instead of a grandson, it's a relative in need. But basically, it's the same story and the scammers are still after the victim's money. This is why I always remind family and friends to be … more ›